Speaker sounds: If you hear no sound or distorted sound from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch speaker

How speakers work: The basics to start

Although there have been significant advances in both speaker design and manufacture, the fundamentals of speaker driver technology haven’t changed in close to 100 years: Edward Kellogg and Chester Rice’s 1925 dynamic driver is still the basis of practically every loudspeaker on the market today, from the one in your phone to those in your home theatre system.

But how do speakers work? Let’s start with the basics.

Editor’s note: this article was updated on March 12, 2021, to include more technical information.

How speakers work: the basics

A speaker driver is the raw electroacoustic component that makes a loudspeaker work. As a transducer, its function is to transform energy from one form to another. Specifically, this transducer transforms the amplified electrical waves from your playback device, be that your phone or the cartridge of your turntable, into sound pressure waves in the air for your ears to detect.

Wikipedia
The speaker driver: a simple yet brilliant electromagnetic motor

An amplifier feeds a signal to two terminals on the back of a speaker. These terminals pass the current into a cylindrical coil of wire, which is suspended in the circular gap between the poles of a permanent magnet. This coil moves back and forth inside the magnetic field as the current passing through it alternates in direction with the signal applied, per Faraday’s law. The center of the speaker cone is attached to one end, which gets driven back and forth by the moving coil. This cone is held at its edges by an airtight suspension or surround. As the cone moves, it pushes and pulls the surrounding air; by doing so it creates pressure waves in the air, called sound.

So that’s how the speaker driver works, but why do they always seem to be mounted in boxes? If the driver makes sound by itself, what’s the box for? And what about port holes and those other bits and pieces?

Why are speakers mounted in boxes?

Each Fluance Ai40 bookshelf speaker features a 1″ tweeter and a 5″ driver.

As a speaker driver’s cone moves, it creates a pressure wave from both the front and from the back. As it moves towards you, pushing the air and creating a positive pressure, it simultaneously pulls the air behind it, creating negative pressure. If the wavelength that corresponds to the frequency of the reproduced signal is large relative to the size of the driver, the pressure generated by the two sides of the driver will effectively cancel each other out. So at any useful distance, the low frequencies (bass) are rendered inaudible. If you want to try this at home, remove a driver from its enclosure. You’ll notice a “tinny” sound quality compared to how the speaker sounded when assembled.

For a speaker to function well at all frequencies, we must prevent the pressure wave created by the back of the speaker cone from canceling out the wave created by the front of the cone. If you were to mount the driver in a large, rigid sheet of material (a baffle), you could achieve the same effect. A baffle needs to be large to prevent low-frequency cancellation, so this is impractical in most applications. Closed boxes allow a more practical way of doing this.

Not all speaker boxes are box shaped…

A combination of the mechanical properties of the driver and the size of the box define the low-frequency behavior of an assembled closed box loudspeaker system. Without getting super technical, the air in the box acts like a spring that the cone pushes and pulls against, and that system has a resonant frequency below which its output drops off considerably.

Loudspeakers must be airtight: leaks in the box allow the cancellation we want to avoid.

Why do some speakers have holes in them?

You may have noticed lots of speaker boxes have circular holes, or sometimes slots, usually in the front or back. What you are seeing are ports, or vents, and this identifies what is known as a bass reflex enclosure.

A bass reflex enclosure works essentially the same way as when you blow air over an open beer bottle and a note sounds. The note changes with the amount of liquid in the bottle because the volume of air inside the bottle changes. If you were able to stretch the glass neck of the bottle, that would change the note too. It is a resonant system that can be tuned by adjusting the port dimensions (the bottle’s neck) or the enclosure (bottle) volume.

This bass reflex speaker has a rear firing bass port.

If tuned correctly, what this does is create a resonance just below the point at which the loudspeaker response would normally roll off, effectively extending the bass performance of the system. For this to work correctly, the port tuning is calculated for the specific driver in the specific enclosure. If you swap out the driver for a different type, even if it is the same cone diameter, the box and port tuning will no longer be appropriate and it won’t sound right.

Loudspeakers that use passive radiators work on the same basic principle but with a mass loaded, unpowered speaker cone creating the bass resonance with the enclosed air volume.

Tweeters and woofers

Now, you may have noticed that in most loudspeakers, particularly as they get larger than little portable boom boxes, you can see more than one speaker driver—usually a smaller diameter one atop a larger one.

These speakers have two sizes of speaker driver: tweeters above and woofers below

There are several reasons why speakers use multiple drivers in different sizes. While it is true that a single driver can cover almost all the audible spectrum by itself, there are a number of limitations it runs up against. If the driver is small it can’t move much air and will struggle to generate bass at a useful level.

Learn more: Driver types explained

Larger drivers can move more air, but the problem is that speakers become more directional as the frequencies they are reproducing go up. This is known as beaming.

As frequency increases, the associated wavelength decreases; speaker drivers usually start beaming at a frequency with a wavelength equal to the diameter of the radiating cone. This means you’ll only hear the higher frequencies if you’re right on axis with the speaker. It doesn’t make for a balanced sound or a good speaker. The simple solution is to use different sizes of drivers with each one tailored to reproducing a specific range of frequencies—different parts of the audible spectrum (bass and treble, or bass, middle, treble).

Woofers and tweeters and ports, oh my!

This concept works in tandem with a frequency dividing network in the speaker box called a crossover. A crossover delegates the right frequency range to each driver type: tweeters for the highs and woofers for the lows.

Why it’s worth knowing how speakers work

You don’t need to know the science behind speakers to be able to listen to and enjoy them. But if you intend to spend serious dough on audio equipment, it’s always a good idea to first equip yourself with some knowledge. A little base knowledge will help you understand why certain design decisions were made, how they influence the sound, and to help you identify snake oil salesmen.

Knowing how speakers work can also help you diagnose problems. And if this article has you interested to learn more, there are plenty of resources online where you can learn how to build them yourself from readily available parts.

This Is Why Your Speakers Sound Like They’re Underwater (5+ Possible Causes) – Home Studio Connection

Did you just turn your speakers on and instantly knew that something was wrong? It is like listening to music underwater!

Your speakers will sound like they are underwater depending on a few factors that include: them being blown, having a low-pass filter applied to the audio, EQ settings being adjusted like a low-pass filter, set up on the incorrect speaker channel, or if your amplifier settings are incorrect.

In this article, we will look closely at the possible reasons that your speakers sound like they are underwater. There are different scenarios for if you have a home entertainment system or a home recording studio and using a DAW – we will cover them all.

Let’s get started.

Reasons Why Your Speakers Sound Like They Are Underwater

There are several factors that can make it sound like your speakers are underwater, whether you are using studio monitors, PA loudspeakers, home entertainment speakers, or even bookshelf speakers,

If your speakers sound like they are underwater, then it’s time to troubleshoot the problem.

The list below should help you to identify the issue and troubleshoot the problem:

• Low Bitrate Audio Encoding
• Low Pass Filter In Your DAW
• EQ In Your DAW
• Low Pass-filter On Your Amplifier Or Receiver
• Your Amplifier Or AV Receiver Has No Crossover
• Your Settings On Your Amplifier Or AV Receiver Are Incorrect
• You Have Connected Your Speakers To Your Amplifier Or AV Receiver Incorrectly

See below for more detail on each of these scenarios.

In addition to that, there are some cases where there is just no way to fix your speaker that sounds like it is underwater. In that case, you will have to try to get it repaired or buy a new one.

Underwater Speakers – Scenarios That Are Applicable To Studio Recording

These scenarios will apply to producers and engineers in the studio. Because you are recording, editing, and creating audio tracks, there are instances where you may have done something that you should not have, and the result emanating from your monitors is not what you expected.

Low Bitrate Audio Encoding

This will happen once you have recorded, mixed, and mixed down your audio for listening purposes on various devices. This is a big part of a producer’s job because you have to make the track sound good on all devices that can play music, such as:

• Hi-Fis
• smartphones
• tablets
• car stereo systems

Bitrate will affect audio quality on any device that can play music, like laptops and tablets.

A good producer’s trait is having a track that they have made, and it sounds good on anything. Sadly, most producers don’t take into consideration bitrates when exporting their audio.

DAWs offer many options when exporting audio and bitrate (bit depth is one of them). I personally use Ableton when I record, edit, mix, and master my tracks, and even when I export them.

A DAW gives you lots of options when exporting audio, including choice of bitrate.

You have to check that the bit rate when you are exporting your audio is at least set to a suitable level. 320kbps is fine for general listening but remember that CD audio quality is 1411kbps. The higher the bit depth (rate), the more information the audio will contain, and the lower the bitrate, the less information it will contain.

If you have used a lower bit rate, your speakers may sound like they are underwater because the audio does not have the full range of frequencies that it is supposed to have, and sure enough, it will sound horrible.

Low Pass Filter In Your DAW

When they are new and figuring their way around sound applications like DAW’s and 3rd party plugins, many producers will inadvertently click on something they are not supposed to. This happens more often than not, and they don’t realize what they have done or how to fix it.

If your plugin or DAW has options on an element for a low-pass filter, make sure that it is turned off.

EQ In Your DAW

Similar to a low pass filter however this is the manual version of it.

You need to check your EQ settings if you only have that loaded up onto the track or section of the audio you are working on and ensure that you have the EQ settings set correctly.

Check that your EQ settings are correct and as you intended.

Technically a low-pass filter is an EQ set to have no high frequencies, and you can just do this with the click of a button on some DAWs and 3rd party plugins.

On an EQ, it will look like a graph that you manually set. Hence make sure you have not selected a pre-saved setting or adjusted the EQ in such a way, making it act like a low pass filter.

Underwater Speakers – Scenarios That Are Applicable To Amplifiers & AV Receivers

If you are not a producer, don’t work with recording equipment, and have a normal home entertainment system, this section is for you. Some of the same principles apply here as it did with the previous scenario; however, the application is different.

Low Pass-filter On Your Amplifier Or Receiver

Some amplifiers and AV receivers will also have an EQ section, knobs, or settings that you can fiddle with, whether it is digital or analog. This principle is the same as the EQ for DAWs.

If you have set the EQ on your power stereo amplifier or AV receiver so that it acts as a low-pass filter, your speakers will sound like they are underwater.

Check the EQ settings on your stereo amplifier or AV receiver to make sure settings are back to default. Then, check the speakers again.

Check your EQ settings on your stereo amplifier or AV receiver, and make sure to set all settings to default and check your speakers then.

Your Amplifier Or AV Receiver Has No Crossover

Modern amplifiers and AV receivers come with a crossover, enabling them to work correctly with a subwoofer. In stereo systems that have the ability to reproduce surround sound, the amplifier or AV receiver will definitely have a built-in crossover.

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A crossover enables the pass-through of certain frequencies and attenuating the ones you don’t want. It acts like a low pass filter pushing low frequencies to the subwoofer giving you that deep heavy bass in the same respect.

If you are trying to connect a subwoofer to your AV receiver or amplifier and it does not have a crossover built into it, the resultant sound coming from your subwoofer will sound horrible.

Fixing this is pretty easy by purchasing a passive crossover adapter available from amazon.

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Your Settings On Your Amplifier Or AV Receiver Are Incorrect

Modern amplifiers and AV receivers have tons of settings on them, including presets. Make sure you have all your settings on your amplifier set to default and check your speakers then.

Set your amplifier settings to default and try again to see if the “underwater” sound is gone.

You Have Connected Your Speakers To Your Amplifier Or AV Receiver Incorrectly

Again modern amplifiers and AV receivers have dedicated channels for certain speakers, especially if they are equipped for surround sound.

These will have a dedicated channel for the subwoofer, and as such, that channel will have a crossover on it, which will only send low frequencies through to the subwoofer allowing it to function correctly.

For some reason, if you connect regular speakers to this dedicated subwoofer channel, the result will be that your speakers will sound like they are underwater.

Blown Speakers Will Sound Like They Are Underwater

A scenario that will override the previous two scenarios is one where your speakers are blown.

If your speakers sound like they are still underwater and you have, through the process of elimination, checked all the situations why they would possibly be doing this, then the only reason that is left is that they could possibly be blown.

If your speakers still sound like they are underwater after going through this troubleshooting checklist, then they may be blown.

There are many reasons why your speaker could be blown, which include having the wrong amplifier and speaker combination, driving your speakers too hard for too long, and many more.

Can You Fix This Type Of Damage To A Speaker

Sadly if you have damaged the voice coil, which is the main component that makes up the speaker, you will have to replace it. A voice coil that is damaged from too much RMS power is irreversible, and you will have to purchase a new one or try to have it repaired.

Conclusion

As we now know, there are several factors that you have to consider when your speaker sounds like it is underwater.

Depending on if you are in the recording studio or have a home theater system, these scenarios will differ slightly, but they are fixable. They range from incorrect settings to incorrect wiring of your speaker – and if you follow our article, you will be able to pinpoint which of these is causing the fault.

The one scenario that may not be fixable is if your speaker is blown. Then you would need to seek a professional’s help, either getting it repaired or having to purchase a new component.

You can learn about bookshelf speakers vs. soundbars here.

You can learn about 2-way vs 3-way speakers here.

Source list

Receiver making speakers sound like they’re underwater?

Audio sounds like it is underwater

Speakers sound like they’re underwater except center channel

Ableton Live 10 Tutorial: Exporting Audio

causes and elimination – acoustics “AK” from Ural (Moscow)

Fans of high-quality sound in cars tend to install professional speaker systems. However, even a high-quality speaker system does not guarantee the absence of sound problems. Errors in installation and malfunctions in parts of the overall system can affect the sound quality. Problems can be varied: squeaking in the speakers when the engine is running, whistling in the speakers when the engine is running, whistling in the speakers when revving, background in the speakers, and more.

Why do car speakers wheeze?

Many car owners are wondering why the speakers in the car begin to wheeze, which used to work fine. To understand how to remove the wheezing of the speakers, you should first decide which speakers are wheezing. It is equally important to determine in which mode the problem manifests itself: this can only happen at high volume, or in constant mode.

The speakers in the car can wheeze for various reasons. The most common of them:

• Errors in setting up the radio. More often it is typical for cases when all the speakers wheeze at once, if you turn them on at full volume;
• Drawdowns in on-board voltage;
• Insufficient contact in the circuits of the acoustic system;
• Wrong speaker model;
• Radio overheating;
• Speaker cone damaged;
• Speaker coil clogged;
• Lead wires worn out.

Crackling and clicking of car speakers

The answer to the question of why the speakers in the car are cracking will be the bass. Moreover, the speakers located in front will crack. It’s all about distribution. The bass is evenly distributed to the speakers in both the front and rear of the car. However, the front speakers are usually up to three times weaker, and the offset to the rear speakers is minimal. As a result of excess bass, crackling and clicking sounds appear in the front speakers.

To solve the problem, you need to install a capacitor. It is installed in any wire break and is well insulated. The result is a simple filter that removes excess bass from the front speakers, while more powerful bass goes to the rear speakers.

Hiss and hiss from car speakers

Among other defects, speakers can still make hissing and whistling sounds.

Why do speakers hiss and whistle in a car:

• Faults in the speakers themselves. This can happen due to physical wear and tear, or due to physical external influence;
• Incorrect operation of the audio card. To check this factor, it is worth taking it out and inserting it back. If this does not help, the audio card must be replaced;
• Errors in sound settings. You should check the driver settings to install the best filters;
• Cable defects;
• No ground;
• Incorrect operation of the amplifier due to malfunctions of a different nature.

If the speakers hiss, you should also check the audio jacks. Sometimes they can weaken during application. To prevent a long cable from getting tangled, it should be securely fixed.

Speaker background with engine running

Noise and background when the engine is running is a problem that not only novice users of professional car audio face. This problem can appear both at the time of the first inclusion, and appear at any time. First of all, it is worth checking all contacts, including connectors and plugs.

Also, motorists are wondering why the speakers in the car are phoning from the amplifier. Most often, the problem is the failure of the preamplifier capacitors. Noise may not appear all at once, but gradually. This means that the capacitors are dry and need to be replaced.

The speakers can also emit fonn if the speaker cables are located too close to the power or to the standard wiring of the car. It is recommended to pull them on different sides of the body. If this is not possible, interconnects and speaker wires should be placed at right angles to the others.

Remedy

To understand how to remove speaker wheezing and other similar problems, it is important to correctly determine the cause and take targeted measures. Most often, it is not difficult to eliminate the causes. Only in some cases the problem lies in the generator.

In addition to the above problems, car audio can throw another nuisance: the discrepancy between the expected volume.

Why is the speaker in the car playing quietly:

• The speaker itself or the capacitors burned out;
• Resistance difference between speakers and output contacts;
• Low signal with mute wire.

Active directional speakers Panphonics SSHA60X60 • RIWA

Active directional sound speaker 60×60 cm, with built-in amplifier. Thickness 55mm. Standard colors: aluminium, white and black.

Code: SNZ PAN 60X60A

Price: on request

Commercial offer

Issue an invoice for payment

• Description
• Specifications
• Documentation

Panphonics speaker technology creates a narrow and directional sound in the right place, eliminating the influence of other external sound sources. Panphonics Sound Shower speakers can be used as a speaker system for advertising on screens (everything related to Digital Signage) in shopping malls, shops, exhibitions and museums.

The Panphonics SSHA60X60 active directional speaker differs from the passive one by the presence of the AA-160 Basic amplifier already built into the speaker. This is convenient when there is not enough space to place a separate amplifier.

Patented Plane Wave Technology

Using Plane Wave technology, sound is created by vibrating an EMFi film in an air cavity between air-conducting stators made of porous plastic or fiber.

Better than conventional speakers

Ordinary speakers create a sound field around them. If you put several of these speakers side by side and play different audio content from them, you will hear only solid, unintelligible noise. In contrast, the sound from Panphonix directional speakers comes out roughly like a jet of water in a shower, hence the name. It has a small angle of divergence, approximately 15 degrees.

Effective application

• in the store: locally sound out the checkout area, different zones and departments, draw the attention of the buyer to the shelf or product, run a promotion
• at the exhibition: make your stand stand out from others, attract the attention of visitors to the exhibition
• in the museum: sound each exhibit separately, create an exposition united in meaning with different sound accompaniment

Active directional speaker with built-in amplifier AA-160 Basic for indoor use.

works

How	stereo to mono conversion
Mount	suspension system on a metal cable or on a bracket, VESA 100, M4 screws. Includes 4 hooks.
Sound Options	maximum output sound pressure level > 80 dB
Divergence angle	on all sides of the speaker SSHA60x60 equals 5 degrees
Frequency band	400 Hz – 16 kHz (-6 dB/octave)
Input impedance	10 kOhm
Input voltage	50 mV – 2 V
Audio input connector	3. 5 mm stereo jack
External power supply	24 V / 400 mA
Speaker dimensions (L x W x H)	60 x 60 x 5.5 cm (+/- 2 mm)
Speaker box dimensions (L x W x H)	73 x 62 x 6 cm (+/- 2 mm)
Speaker weight	3. <- Предыдущий пост: 2.1 sound bar: Best Soundbars for 2023 – CNET Следующий пост: Outdoor sound bar: 3.0ch The Terrace Outdoor Soundbar w/ Dolby 5.1ch – HW-LST70T ->